Cerberus Daily News - March 2013
For canon information, see the Mass Effect Wiki page for Cerberus Daily News. This page is for CDN members' non-canon additions. The following stories contributed by Cerberus Daily News forum members were published on the CDN newsfeed during March 2013. See the main Cerberus Daily News page for current updates. March 2013 – Week One 03/01/13 - Interspecies conference victim of bomb scare Curan Fal, Aroch Post Keynote presentations for the third day of Aroch College’s Non-Council Integration Conference were postponed after the campus post office received an unknown parcel meant for the quarian delegation’s geth representative. The parcel was found to contain homemade liquid explosives, which were subsequently disarmed by a C-Sec bomb disposal unit. President Yaetan Harwun stated “Regrettably: It is unfortunate that must cancel this part of the conference because of such a reprehensible hate crime, but the safety of this university takes top priority.” The geth representative, designated “Equanimity,” stated that “the cancellation of Aroch's activities was determined to be the most efficient means of protecting both organic and synthetic life and interests, as well as Aroch College property. These precautions are undesirable, but are expected from current political trends. Should the Aroch institution concede, this unit would be willing to participate at a later date." C-Sec has reported that their investigation of this incident is "ongoing." 03/02/13 - Leaked Talxu Deal Draws Animal Rights Protests Yaneeze Mekkoon - Thessian Daily Dectraton, THESSIA - Vindeta Enterprises faces a public uproar following a leak of plans for the company to relocate a school of at least twenty talxu from Thessia to Nevos as part of a planned entertainment facility. “We were surprised by this reaction, as this is really no big thing. A lot of people have talxu as pets, and the population is not endangered,” stated Vindeta Enterprises spokeswoman Mari T’Nasi. “Our theme park will be a state-of the-art facility, and everyone will be able to enjoy the talxu there.” Animal rights activists protesting at Vindeta’s central office have a different view. “The talxu is a very delicate species, and we have learned from past experience that it will not do well off Thessia,” said protester Oreen Hyseef. “The Reapers have taken a great toll on their population, and they are just beginning to reestablish their numbers. Vindeta is about to exploit a very intelligent and friendly species for spectacle and profit.” Spokeswoman for the Talxu Wildlife Committee Ehre Loxanne went further with her accusations. “Sources inside the company have told us that they plan to maintain a constant supply line for when their first shipment dies. And that shipment will die, if you just move them against their will and into a planetary environment they are not suited for. We demand a public vote on the ban of all trade with talxu, and their acknowledgment as a species with rights.” Matriarchs at the demonstration are conversing with activist leaders, as the protests are expected to continue. Talxu are a water-dwelling, air-breathing species native to Thessia. They are highly intelligent, and their friendly and social behavior have made them valued companions for the asari since the tribal ages. As they are highly adapted to Thessia’s Element Zero-rich environment, they are rarely encountered elsewhere. March 2013 - Week Two 03/04/13 - Monarch to Alliance: “If you don’t mind, I will have my country back.” Chris Woods, The Colonial When Shanxi was reunited with the rest of the galaxy, refugee Dame Elizabeth Frances Grey was in for a shock. “The moment we had reestablished contact with Earth, I wanted to know how Great Britain was fairing. I was appalled at what I found.” “The destruction in the wake of the war was almost unbelievable...but what was worse, we Britain had lost our Sovereign and Sovereignty.” Grey had suspected Queen Victoria IV was among the victims of the Reaper onslaught. However, she had also expected that the new King or Queen would have taken her place on the throne. Instead, the Systems Alliance was running the country - and the rest of the world. “It irked me, as a citizen with a British passport, that the upstarts Systems Alliance would have dared to assume power of one of the oldest monarchies on Earth," stated Grey. Dame Grey always had an interest in the Royal family tree, even as a child. Her interest was understandable; she was, after all, "46th in line of succession" to the British throne. “I felt it was my duty, as a British citizen, to find out where our rightful Monarch was,” she said, relating her search through tales of final stands, indoctrination, and brutal slaughter until the realization came upon her. “…after I had discounted Ferdinand - who went missing in action during the push for London - it dawned on me that my branch of the tree was next.” In a surprising twist of fate, Dame Elizabeth Grey had become the heir she was looking for. “It was overwhelming. One of course knows of one’s position in the line of succession, but I never dared to think of it as anything more than a curiosity.” Still, the next step was "obvious;" Grey announced her divine duty, and went to the local Alliance representative to politely ask for her country back. “That was the whole point of the exercise, after all, was it not?” A Systems Alliance official speaking on condition of anonymity noted that “we get claims to any number of thrones every other week, but Mrs. Grey's is the probably the first with any level of credibility to it. Her paperwork checks out, as do the DNA tests; they both confirm her identity and her claim to the throne. In short, there’s little doubt in my mind that she’s in fact eligible to become the next Queen of England…except there’s no England anymore, like, legally.” Dame Grey dissents. “The Alliance is unlawfully occupying British sovereign soil. They should leave as soon as possible and allow us to reestablish the British Parliament.” The Colonial sincerely doubts that this was part of the Systems Alliance's Five-Year Plan. 03/05/13 - C-Sec Arrests Drug Gang Members Sabine Baumann – Zakera Gazette Zakera Ward, CITADEL — C-Sec arrested nine alleged members of the Eternal Bonfire gang, including suspected gang leader Pamur Sevilla, in a raid on their hideout earlier today. Sevilla, also known as “The Rattler,” has been under observation for some time by C-Sec. He and eight other gang members have been arrested on charges of drug distribution, illegal gun possession, disorderly conduct and obstructing C-Sec officers in the course of their duty. In addition, C-Sec found a large quantity of Red Sand, Euphorin and methamphetamines inside the compound. According to C-Sec Spokesman Tarvus Marcis, “we confiscated close to what would be 150 kilos of controlled substance…the street value these narcotics would be in the hundreds of thousands.” C-Sec patrol cars hovered over the hideout as patrol forces took Sevilla et al. into custody. Sevilla, 35, served time in a UNAS prison after pleading guilty in 2181 to organizing a highly-publicized attack on a rival gang in San Diego. “We were very fortunate to gain entry into the building with no one injured. The suspects are now in custody, and we believe them to be both manufacturers and distributors of narcotics,” said Marcis. “So far, so good.” 03/07/13 - Reactions to Cabal Poison Weapons via Adrien Celix, Hierarchy Citizen's Press Cipritine, PALAVEN – Controversy is erupting from wide swaths of turian society after an investigative report by HCP yesterday revealed that Cabal units called to serve the Cause during the Reaper War made use of an effective but unpopular historical weapon — poison blades. During the Unification War, Cabal units served primarily in an espionage-based role: infiltration, manipulation, and assassination, only breaking their cover and using biotics when backed into corners. Poisoned blades were one of the most feared weapons of Cabal members. Although data on the mechanics of the poisoned blades are still highly classified, it is rumored that the weapons were used as a morale-breaking tool: a slow, agonizing, painful death whose shock-and-awe effects mirrored pre-Reaper War Hierarchy bombardment doctrine. Although outlawed in the wake of the Unification War, the blades have been making a comeback. Documents obtained by the HCP show that blade training is now required as part of basic training for all Cabal members, and some eyewitnesses report that blade training is also taking place in pre-boot academies geared specifically for biotic children. “I don't understand why Cabals are returning to such primitive weapons,” commented Li Naelus, a parent of two whose children are being raised in a Nurturing Center less than a mile from a Cabal training ground. “Practical considerations like efficacy aside, teaching potentially dangerous individuals how to use weapons of terror is not a way to encourage citizens that they are safe and supported.” Other responses are even more condemning—on the extranet, some are speculating that the Cabals may be planning a Unification War-style coup due to broad disaffection with the Hierarchy. HCP attempted to reach out to the Minister of Biotic Affairs and several key Cabal officers; many expressly denied any knowledge of a mutiny, but all refused to comment on whether the deadly weapons were once again in Cabal hands. 03/08/13 - Interspecies Conference resumes Cuarn Fal, Aroch Post Aroch College’s Non-Council Interspecies Reintegration conference has resumed after a recent bomb scare forced a postponement in the proceedings, albeit with heightened security. President Yaetan Harwun informed the press that extra campus security will be on hand for the duration of the conference, along with a local C-Sec response unit stationed on call. “With gratitude: I wish to thank C-Sec and our own campus security for the efforts they are taking to safeguard both our students and the conference delegation. Sincerely: The events this past week demonstrate that we as sentient beings must not bow to hate.” The panels for this week include the batarian delegation’s findings on promoting private shared investment between C-Space and the Confederate economy, krogan proposals on further defense collaborations with the Hierarchy in the wake of the scheduled DMZ disestablishment, and a joint quarian-geth panel on the presence of synthetics and AI in the galactic community. C-Sec’s investigation on the attempted college bomber’s identity is ongoing. March 2013 - Week Three 03/11/13 - Major salarian clan gets new batch Kolos Township, SUR'KESH - A cadet branch of the prominent Linron family on Sur'Kesh gained 16 new members last Wednesday, as the eggs hatched without incident. The scandal-ridden dalatrass of the Linron clan was present at the hatching with the parents of the new clutch, but she refused to give comments to reporters present. This and many other recent events are sure signs of recovery in the galaxy, two years after the conclusion of the Reaper wars. 03/12/13 - Passengers And Crew Escape Pirate Attack Meina Raniva – The Galactic Observer ILLIUM - A spaceliner carrying fifty colonists and material from Illium into the Traverse was attacked by pirates earlier this week. The ship in question had been traveling at subluminal speed between systems when it was approached by two vessels and raided by a boarding party. The party emptied the cargo rooms, taking the passengers’ personal items as well. The crew and passengers survived, however, by retreating to the safety of a “panic room” installed within the ship by the PerSafe Group. After several hours of unsuccessful attempts to break into the room, the raiders withdrew from the ship and left. “It all happened so fast! I feared for my life, I was sure they would just blow up the ship out of frustration,” one survivor stated. Several enterprises throughout the sector have begun to equip their vessels with such tightly-shielded chambers as a retreat in case of attack. Specific parameters are being withheld from release, however, citing safety. “We don’t want to give these pirates any information,” A spokesperson for PerSafe said. “We recommend, however, that people traveling in dangerous regions ask their carrier about the availability of such systems, and preferably use carriers that provide safe rooms on their vessels.” Security footage shows that the pirates in this raid were of mixed species but obviously batarian led. They appear unlinked to any known organization, though investigations are ongoing. A turian patrol later received the ship's automated distress call and came to aid fourteen hours after the attack. “We need a closer knit web of patrols on the merchant routes,” an anonymous turian officer involved in the rescue told the Observer. “I’d be happy to blast a few of those bastards out of space.” 03/13/13 - CRA to Research Methods of Transporting Citadel Falmon Salra, General Science Journal For over a year, scientists have pondered over how the Reapers managed to transport the Citadel from the Serpent Nebula to Earth’s orbit during the final days of the Reaper War. Theories range from basic estimates of eezo required to alleged "secrets" the Citadel has kept hidden since the Council’s foundation. Today, the Citadel Research Association announced the formation of an official committee of both Council and non-Council species to begin investigation, research, and analysis of how the Citadel was transported to Sol, and whether such a feat can be duplicated. The CRA is expecting such an endeavor will likely last years, if not longer, before any meaningful findings could be published. This has earned criticism from other members of the scientific community, including the Hierarchy Science Bureau and the Alliance Scientific Research Committee. ASRC member Dr. Julian Yasgur in particular argued that the CRA’s project “is spending time, resources and minds on a frankly meaningless project.” Responding to Dr. Yasgur's comments, CRA member Dr. Yilea Nareni stated that “Reaper war proved even the Citadel is not impenetrable in time of crisis. On top of that, there is so much about this station that we have yet to truly explore. If we can figure how the Reapers managed to do this, perhaps we can find other secrets along the way...and should another war break out, we’ll be ready.” 03/14/13 - Parker Talks of Seven Year Ordeal Eli Anduv - Exodus Sentinel SCOTT - The Alliance has confirmed that the DNA of the refugee pair found in Terra Nova’s desert belt are indeed siblings Matthew and Ashley Parker, the two missing children of corporate elites Arthur and Marie Parker, killed in a mysterious crash seven years ago while vacationing in the unsettled parts of Terra Nova. On the seventh anniversary since his parent’s death, Matthew Parker stood at an emotional press conference outside Scott’s city hall, and spoke to the public for the first time since he and his younger sister were found last month. Mr. Parker told the crowd that he owed his life to his father’s survivalist training, and to his younger sister, Ashley, who gave him “a reason to keep going, day after day.” Once escaped from the crash, the siblings spent several days in the desert, unaware of how far they had traveled, before finding an oasis large enough to make shelter in. “We thought it would only be a matter of days. We didn’t realize how far we had gone, none of our instruments worked.” Ashley, he said, had salvaged some of the tech from the crash site, including one of three damaged distress beacons, which the pair had tried, and failed, to repair several times before finally succeeding two months before they were found. The pair kept track of time on a piece of wood, and used schoolwork and soccer to pass the time. “I had to dredge up all those horrible secondary school experiences,” Parker joked. “I wanted Ash to have more than just Year Seven...a sense of normalcy, I guess.” The 26-year old broke down into tears at several points during his speech, particularly when thanking the city of Scott and the colony of Terra Nova for never giving up on him and his sister. He was escorted off-stage by his sister, who allegedly refuses to speak with anyone other than her doctors and brother. DNA samples were taken from the siblings and compared to the remains of their father, mother, and eldest sister, Eliza, as well as living relatives. “We wanted to be certain,” claimed Lieutenant Anne Kalim prior to Mr. Parker’s speech. “We wanted to make sure no one could dispute their claims and make their lives more difficult than they already have been.” The Alliance claims they are still investigating the causes of the crash, a topic notably avoided by Mr. Parker. 03/16/13 - Charon Relay Increases Efficiency, Traffic Volume Vince Rekency – Solar Reporters Pluto Traffic Control Centre, SOL: Charon Relay Control reported a 30% increase in efficiency and traffic volume in yesterday’s semi-annual State of the Relay press event. These observations were mentioned alongside reports of optimization of various intergalactic flight management processes and better inter-relay comm traffic. “The sooner precise data is transmitted to Charon Control, the faster we can manage the traffic,” said Control manager Pierre Simeon. “We have issued a set of new procedures to do so over the last six months, and we’ve see it at work, increasing possible traffic.” Further actions included widening of the turning zones for ‘touch and go’ flights, and the optimization of the ‘only-in’ and ‘only-out’ windows to open relays to shorten adjustment times. Said Simeon, “we started operating with a three minute schedule, having 480 movements per solar day after the repairs. After the first improvement step, we are currently running at 750 movements and the plan is to increase to 1000 in the next step and 1400 after that. After all, nobody really knows where the actual limits for the relay are, so we are taking a cautious approach.” A ‘movement’ is one transit operation and consists of several ships from the same relay to the other. Free trade relay slot prices slumped 14% after this announcement. March 2013 - Week Four 03/17/13 - "District, No More” Asks Vietnamese by Anita Wu, Vox Populi EARTH - Placards, posters, and pickets have defined life just outside the the Alliance’s regional administrative zone in the port city of Haiphong, the center of SATAE’s provisional authority in Vietnam. Every day, the thirty nine soldiers guarding its’ single checkpoint look out at an ever-growing crowd of students, veterans, and nationalists waving signs boldly condemning Hackett, condemning the Systems Alliance, and demanding that SATAE’s military administration in the region be disintegrated. “No one was asked. No one was consulted,” said an anonymous former civil servant, as he aired out his frustrations with Vox Populi. “Vietnam liberated Vietnam. When the Reapers came, the Alliance did not rescue us. When we fought, we fought for a nation, and as a nation. On our own blood, sweat, and tears. And when the war came to an end, it was only then that the Alliance came with troops and tanks, and only then to make our decisions for us - to unmake the nation we thought we were fighting for.” Despite that, the Alliance has not budged; and business continues as usual, unmoved by mounting discontent just outside the gates of the city’s administrative zone and throughout the former nation. “I know how they must feel, and it’s regrettable, but we can’t just pack up and leave. Hanoi is still a complete mess, and we’re still pulling out bodies from Ho Chi Minh City. Expecting them to recover without Alliance resources is insane,” said Staff Commander Nguyen Quan when asked for a statement. “They keep saying five more years, five more years. Why do we need to wait?” Phan Thị Yin complained - a veteran of the Reaper War, who’d spent five months engaged in the costly urban war in Hanoi. A war she firmly believes was fought by the Vietnamese People’s Army. “Why should we believe them? They think we’re children, unable to take responsibility for ourselves, unable to make our own decisions. Every day, people wake up, look out their apartment and they don’t see Haiphong, they see a district. If we want to go it alone, why should they stop us?” 03/18/13 - Body of Unknown Creature Has Biologists Baffled A bout of worry was followed by confusion last Thursday as the corpse of a large sea creature washed up on the beach of Cape West Coast, South Africa. The creature was mistaken for the remains of a Destroyer-class Reaper at first, but upon closer examination was made of flesh and cartilage. The corpse resembles that of a giant squid in shape, only about twenty times as large as previously documented specimens. From the tip of its longest tentacles to its posterior fins, it measures approximately two hundred meters long. Its mantle (the squid’s “head”), by comparison, is thirty meters in length. The corpse bears a number of plasma burns and is missing some tentacles, suggesting that this creature fought a Reaper. "We understand far more about life on other planets than we do about what lives in our own ocean," says human biologist Doctor Rachel Snow. "A giant squid this size should not be able to support its own mass, yet somehow it does. I am very eager to study this corpse." Locals have taken to calling this creature the Kraken. "There are numerous legends of a giant squid capsizing ships that date back to as late as Earth's nineteenth century," noted xenohistorian Dr. Maia T'Mesa. "We're talking squids so long that they dwarfed ships, with apocryphal accounts of such creatures being recorded in the wild. The legend of the kraken was long thought to be the greatest exaggerations of these, but finding this corpse seems to prove otherwise.” 03/19/13 - Relsot Hylik Begins Basin Tour SEDU VALICOT - The postwar cultural revival continues unabated as up-and-coming artistic legend Relsot Hylik touched down on Lassadan, one of the oldest and most influential colonies settled from Union mainstay Mannovai. Hylik’s unique brand of unconventional music is noted for its overnight popularity among displaced refugees flooding the outer Basin. The popular trend has gained a significant following among the youthful population of Sedu Valicot. Eight-year-old Vreetan Skor, aged 8, is typical of these young fans: “I think that Hylik’s more than just a performer; he speaks to us about our place in the galaxy, about the need to re-examine our assumptions about just what it means to be a sapient being in a galaxy that turned against us”. Turned Against Us is, incidentally, the recently-confirmed title of Hylik’s latest official collection. 03/20/13 - Suspected Conference Bomber Arrested Cuaran Fal, Aroch Post C-Sec announced today that they have arrested Uli Schwenke, a human male suspected of having attempted to bomb Aroch College during its Non-Council Integration conference. Schwenke, 34, was living in a temporary housing project for disenfranchised refugees prior to being taken into custody. “In the course of this investigation, we were able to trace the suspect’s location by comparing his genetic fingerprint on file with that of the parcel, particularly the explosives,” C-Sec Lieutenant Catio Polix announced to the press. Following Schwenke’s arrest, the anti-synthetic group “Geth Watch”, to whom the suspect had been affiliated with, made an official statement renouncing any and all ties between Schwenke and the organization. 03/21/13 - Halctis Frontier Conflict Escalates Tayseri Times Anpyros Prime, HELVOST - Private military corporations such as the Blue Suns, Eclipse, Blood Pack, and Elanus Risk Control constitute a multi-billion credit industry that stretches across virtually all of known space. As of approximately three standard weeks ago, this now includes a line of battle stations and naval bases known as the Vasod Line. Stretching the length of the Halctis Frontier, the Line is a centuries-old masterwork of engineering and infrastructure that divided the Old Kingdom of Terminus Warlord Alstius Caro in 1550 CE. After the collapse of the Kingdom in 1811 CE, the Line fell into disrepair, with individual stations changing hands or stripped to the superstructure by opportunistic salvagers. In 2175 CE the burgeoning Pan-Helvost Consortium acquired the remnants of the Line installations and began restoring and repairing the stations, intent on using them to secure their Galactic East border against incursion. After the Crucible Event, however, the destruction of the relay network left the stations with a skeleton crew, their garrisons stripped to help restore order. In their absence, a coalition of privateers has taken residence, forcibly evicting Consortium forces. With their fleets months away via traditional FTL, the Pan-Helvost Chancellorate has put their resources to use, hiring Myrmidon Security Services’ Second, Third, Fourth battlegroups and associate marine detachments. Paramilitary forces under the command of Rear Admiral Tiama Esarak have waged an increasingly intense drone war over the past three days, sending waves of unmanned craft against station defenses while conducting hit and run attacks on ships attempting to enter or leave Vasod space. However, as of yesterday, 2300 hours local time, the crisis has deepened as neighboring nation Desalos Bastion accused Myrmidon of conducting an unprovoked strike on the military city-state of Tacilica. The Desalos High Council, calling this a “cowardly and opportunistic attack on an unaffiliated party,” has pledged to seek redress from corporate forces and sponsors, though officials acknowledge that, proverbially speaking, they don’t have a leg to stand on. “Comm buoys were severed prior to the attack and, going off what we have been able to recover, virtually every hardened military node in the colony was bombed, raided, stripped clean, then mass-driven into the mantle. So yes, we can point fingers and speculate all we like but the fact of the matter is we have no concrete proof either way,” stated Councilor Valia T’Kevo, Chairwoman of the Lower Council in a press conference today. “A ‘hot’ war with the Consortium at this juncture serves nobody.” Meanwhile, Myrmidon officials state that while they were conducting operations in the region, their target was a largely uninhabited world on the edges of Desalos space which served as a staging point for Line interests. Operational records made public by the Admiral’s office seem to verify this claim. Consortium representatives have declined to comment on the situation, merely stating that they have found the organization’s overall service to be “satisfactory in the extreme.” 03/22/13 - Youngest Heroes to Be Recognized He’s only three years old, but for many salarians, bright-eyed Olos New-Aegohr Hinnjin Ulan Gilos Dre has become the face of salarian heroism during the recent Reaper Invasion. The youngster, who became quietly famous for his rescue of two human children of comparatively younger age during the Conflagration of Olos, has been honored today in a ceremony drawing attention to the capacity for each and every Union citizen to contribute to the galactic commonwealth. His proud mother, standing alongside several of Dre’s elder brothers, praised her child’s bravery and vowed to ensure that the Union leadership “gives all our young citizens the representation and acknowledgement they deserve”. March 2013 - Week Five 03/24/13 - Lost Outpost Discovered Yuri Kangawa – Alliance News Network An Alliance patrol discovered a lost outpost on Fairgrounds M-26 (Horse Head Nebula) earlier this week with three surviving Alliance Marines on it. An Alliance spokesperson explained that the remote planetoid had not been in any official mapping of Alliance posts in that region. When a Frigate on patrol closed in to examine the wreckage on it, however, it was fired upon by SAMs. Luckily, the crew evaded the attack and identified the weapon as Alliance. After further investigation, three humans were detected. The recovered marines, two privates and an NCO, were reportedly under the impression they were under attack by Cerberus forces, but were finally convinced of the Alliance’s identity. “All three are in a relatively healthy state, considering the time cut off from supplies," stated the Alliance representative. "It seems that the SAM was about the only piece of equipment left intact, as almost all ammunition for small arms had been spent." Fairgrounds M-26 has a thin atmosphere and simple levo-based flora, which kept the three alive for nearly two years. “We are just happy to go home, now," stated the NCO in a brief statement. "But first, I need a shower.” 03/25/13 - Professional Wrestling Promotion Receives Lawsuit Irix Catiline, Gladiator Magazine Employees affiliated with the Galactic Wrestling Association have filed a class-action lawsuit against their employer this week, citing that the pro wrestling promotion has failed to pay nearly half of its employees for over six months. The GWA, which had been among the top three wrestling promotions in Citadel space alongside rivals New Citadel Pro Wrestling and Arena of Champions, has been struggling with financial difficulty since the war. “The conditions that we’re working under are quite frankly, ridiculous,” spoke Craig Amherst, who wrestles for the GWA under the ring name “Ray Caden.” “For all the talk that wrestling is fake, we put our physical selves at risk nearly every week. I can see this happening, perhaps, with an indie promotion in the Terminus, But when a major company like this can’t even pay us, you have to wonder what the hell is going on at the top.” The lawsuit comes at a rather unfortunate time for the promotion. Several members of the roster have been leaving to join the NCPW and AOC over the past month, and rumors persist that GWA CEO Doral Sarrot is attempting to sell the company to avoid bankruptcy. 03/26/13 - Presence of Unknown Pathogen Confirmed By Casos Tigia, Tayseri Times Samhaus, MEGALOS BREACH- Earlier today the Robath Freehold’s Ministry of Health released reports confirming suspicions that the steadily growing epidemic of Yisis Influenza on the capital world is, in fact, not an aggressive strain of the relatively common dextro-specific ailment as previously thought, but an entirely new virus altogether. “This is no reason to panic or riot in the streets,” stated Division for Disease Research and Control Director Mokar in a press conference today. He further reiterated that current symptoms indicate little difference between this new pathogen and Yisis. “Fever, aches, congestion, coughing, and fatigue, this is largely a disease that’s a danger to the very young and very old, if any at all,” Mokar said. “We strongly encourage all citizens to stay up to date on their vaccinations and, if infected, to stay home and refrain from exertion.” Despite reassurances from on high, concerns remain, particularly among the turian military forces of the Freehold. Founded some five hundred years ago after the destruction of the Greystorm Fleet in the Battle of Keening Edge, the Freehold is a batarian-dominated nation with turians and asari forming significant minorities. Both races have largely congregated to a handful of cities and districts, and both maintain separate military forces under the jurisdiction of the Robath Department of Defense, with the turian dwarfing both the state’s standing armies and asari bands. Updates will be forthcoming as the situation develops. INITIALIZING Welcome to Aurecatix, VI and automated information update system of the Tayseri Times, bringing you breaking news fresh from the feeds. This stream will keep you apprised of further developments as reported by Mr. Tigia. Thank you for choosing the Tayseri Times for all your current events needs. UPDATE Preliminary research under the direction of the DDRC seems to indicate that the Influenza-like pathogen infecting the colony is nonnative to Samhaus or, indeed, Freehold space altogether. “It is superficially similar in structure, at least, to microfauna from the Deep-Abyss world of Tautheopolis,” said Dr. DDRC researcher Dr. Hatharek in a publicly televised conference. “Although we believe that what we’ve found is only the carrier of the disease, it’s much too large to be the virus itself.” A full recording of the conference may be found here. UPDATE Concerns over the “Robath Blue” pathogen continue to rise as the virus shows no signs of slowing. Best estimates currently place the Bacus district, an almost exclusively turian neighborhood of the capital city Naraklor, at approximately 22% infected. The Ministry of Health urges caution and care, as turian military bases on Samhaus have imposed stringent decontamination measures. As an official statement from the Ministry reads, “While it is perfectly appropriate to take precautions to minimize exposure to the disease, we urge the people of Samhaus to keep calm and carry on.” UPDATE An unidentified turian female with a confirmed infection has been admitted to Spirits of Mercy Hospital in Naraklor. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the woman was displaying symptoms of hallucinations, paranoia, and overt aggression at time of admission. UPDATE Internal hemorrhaging has been confirmed in the Spirits of Mercy Hospital case. UPDATE Unidentified turian female confirmed deceased after three hours. Cause of death attributed to systemic organ failure. UPDATE Military gunships seen landing on roof of Spirits of Mercy Hospital, deploying asari huntresses and state commandos as police forces cordon off building. UPDATE Military teams at Spirits of Mercy have been confirmed to be acting under the authority of the Ministry of Health. UPDATE Public outcry and official protests have erupted from turian and batarian officials as the Court of Lords ordered quarantine of districts in the capital including Bacus, Scapai, and Alaso, as well as the secondary cities of Hivisa and Novus. “Evacuation of the uninfected poses an unacceptable risk that containment will be breached and that the pathogen will be spread to clean sites,” stated Lord Esatha, current leader of the Court majority faction. The action has met with opposition within the Court of Lords. “These are our families, our kin, our friends,” replied Lord Arcitis in a public address. “If you think that we will abandon the easily saved based upon the edict of one overinflated bureaucrat, you are sorely mistaken.” 03/27/13 - CEF Celebrates First Anniversary Nouriel Dostman, DW Intergalaktische CEF main offices, PRESIDIUM BLOCK 1701 - Today marks the 1st anniversary of the creation of the Citadel Exploration Fleet. With the relay network severely damaged, accesses to various systems have been terminated for a significant period of time. In response to this, Citadel races created the CEF in a spirit of cooperation and galactic recovery, an action that proved instrumental in satisfying various homeworlds’ demand for resources, as well as those of the colonies most closely tied to them. Under this initiative, the best turian, human, asari and salarian ships came together to expand our horizons and venture into the fringes of known space for the sake of the entire galaxy. Utilizing state-of-the-art technologies and the best crew of every citadel world, in the past year alone the Exploration Fleet has charted more than 200 new systems, listed 98 new mining targets and even discovered 6 future colonization prospects. Today marks a full year of a rigorous cycle of long and brave voyages into uncharted space. As such, many captains and crew members of the fleet have come to the Citadel today to attend the celebrations. "I have served in the Alliance Navy for many years, but it’s a completely different experience,” says Officer Elle White, Chief Navigator aboard the SSV Anzio. “The vast emptiness, as well as the isolation, can really get to you out there. But when you remember how important the things we do are for the galaxy, the feeling is great, and it's what fuels us to keep going. Fly one light year further." More interviews will be held later today, following a speech from Admiral Nowak and General Corcyrus. Stay tuned for the live broadcast later today! 03/28/13 - Salarian HV Show Strikes Chord with Turians Zakera Entertainment Network, Zakera Ward The Salarian Zakera Broadcasting Network continues to be bombarded with complaints from turians across Zakera and nearby neighboring wards after the popular salarian comedy sketch show "Well Shrell" aired a segment mocking the actions of the Hierarchy during the Reaper War. The sketch involves the late Primarch Fedorian meeting with members of the Hierarchy, answering all concerns with “fighting them head-on,” whether it concerns his people’s safety, coordinating attacks, or even repairing destroyed infrastructure. When Special Forces arrive to escort him to safety, he gives repeats the line, piloting the escape craft toward a Reaper. This leads to the punch line: Fedorian stating it's "The Turian Way" as the Reaper disintegrates everyone present. SZBN has already received over 50,000 complaints for the 98-second sketch since it's broadcast four days ago, with significant outrage in numerous turian communities residing within Zakera - Several turian organizations operating on the citadel have made claims of the sketch being "racist", "insensitive" and "dangerously ignorant." One group, known as "Reputable Turians Against Ignorance," threatened a libel charge against the network. Veteran Hierarchy soldiers who had fought in the Reaper War have also spoken up regarding the segment and it's contents, claiming that the staff of "Well Shrell" are not “entitled” to the opinions that were put on show, saying that salarians "have no right to spread such malicious slander for something they were barely involved in to begin with." Non-turian reactions are mixed, though numerous non-turians have stated that they agree and sympathize with what the general turian populace of Zakera. Others, however, have said that the whole situation is being taken too seriously. "It's just a joke," one anonymous asari resident told ZEN. "I don't see why anyone has to make a big fuss about it. The writers probably don't believe in it themselves." 03/29/13 - Capsatus: A New Leadership for Farish Vey? By CWZG Elgiss Forlan As aid to the beleaguered nations of the galaxy continues, a new star arises amid the trans-Basin colonies. Sharing in the wartime plight of its largely asari and turian neighbours, the colony world of Farish Vey is now the focal point of essential economic and material exchange between the Basin and the galaxy at large. Chief among those overseeing shipments to and from salarian holdings are the Capsatus, a cadet branch of the Jiusu clan now poised to assume more direct day-to-day management following Dalatrass Jilsata’s security-motivated retreat to the home cluster during the early weeks of the war. 03/30/13 - Court of Lords Orders Quarantine By Casos Tigia, Tayseri Times Public outcry and official protests have erupted from turian and batarian officials as the Court of Lords ordered quarantine of districts in the capital including Bacus, Scapai, and Alaso, as well as the secondary cities of Hivisa and Novus. “Evacuation of the uninfected poses an unacceptable risk that containment will be breached and that the pathogen will be spread to clean sites,” stated Lord Esatha, current leader of the Court majority faction. The action has met with opposition within the Court of Lords. “These are our families, our kin, our friends,” replied Lord Arcitis in a public address. “If you think that we will abandon the easily saved based upon the edict of one overinflated bureaucrat, you are sorely mistaken.” Category:Cerberus Daily News Articles